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Part 1: A Notable Beginning

Woodfines are proud to be sponsoring Vanessa Bystry who has taken up the exciting challenge of learning a new instrument for the Note Race Grade-1-athon taking place 10th September 2017. With the concert fast approaching Vanessa has been updating us with her progress via her blog which can be read below:

What is the Grade-1-a-thon?

I have signed up to be a member of the Cambridge 'crew' in the Oxford and Cambridge Note Race 2017. The Note Race Grade-1-athon will see me and more than a hundred other Cambridge musicians take up the challenge of learning a new instrument on which we have had no previous experience, take Grade 1 within nine weeks and perform in a full orchestral concert on our new instruments at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.

This year, the Cambridge Grade-1-athon has thrown down the gauntlet to Oxford, where musicians will compete with us to raise the most in sponsorship and achieve the highest average Grade 1 mark.

I have chosen ….the harp!

Did you know the harp has 7 pedals?

I’ve always liked the sound of the harp but knew absolutely nothing about the instrument so this was always going to be a challenge.

I was very surprised to learn at my one and only group harp lesson that the instrument is bigger than me (being 5ft 9“ I wouldn’t say I’m vertically challenged) AND it has 7 pedals! What was I supposed to do with those? My husband sniggered and said something about gears but I have since learnt that the three for the left foot and four for the right are for adding accidentals and changing key. Just hope I don’t have to play a piece with quick and multiple key changes...

Farewell long nails

I also discovered that long nails are a no-no. Not that mine were of lengthy proportions in the first place but in order to play the harp properly, they have to be practically non-existence otherwise the nail creates an ugly‚ 'buzz‘ on the strings. Can’t be having that if I’m aiming for a good mark!

In that first lesson there was so much to remember. Elbows out, flick your fingers up into your hand – fingers low, thumbs up high – and don’t forget to BREATHE! At the end of the group lesson there was a stunned silence as the enormity of what we had all signed up for sunk in.

5 weeks down the line

This is my fifth week learning the harp and now I’ve got over the initial shock of it all – including getting it home in the boot of my car (it came with its own protection‚ duvet and sack barrow!) all is going reasonably well. Just difficult slotting practise around a full-time job and family commitments. I normally have a quick practise at some tricky corner while the potatoes are on the boil!

The glide on the harp strings followed on entering the kitchen for breakfast is wearing a bit thin now with the teenagers (lots of eye-rolling) but I will soldier on!

We are raising much needed funds for three charities

Apart from the huge personal challenge I am hoping to raise as much sponsorship as possible for three children’s charities:

The Alf Dubs Children’s Fund - Lord Dubs, one of 10,000 Kindertransport children rescued before the outbreak of World War II, is leading efforts to help a new generation of unaccompanied child refugees.

Blue Smile provides life-changing support to Cambridgeshire children with mental health difficulties. Through arts-based therapy in schools, Blue Smile helps the most vulnerable of children to find happiness, fulfil their potential and make brighter futures.

Home-Start Cambridgeshire helps families struggling with post-natal depression, isolation, physical health problems, bereavement and many other issues to build better lives for their young children.